DICKSON, Tenn. (Scripps News Nashville) — Exclusive new details in the Joe Clyde Daniels case on what evidence compelled the jury to find the little boy’s father guilty of murder.
It’s not what you might expect, and it could make a difference in the case against Joe Clyde’s mother, Krystal.
The jury convicted Joseph Daniels of felony murder in June — despite the fact Joe Clyde’s body was never found.
Joseph Daniels appears in court as jury deliberations continue for a second day in his trial, June 12, 2021. (WTVF)
It was a circumstantial case, and now we know what convinced the jurors. They heard from several witnesses at trial, including Tennessee Bureau of Investigation agents and Joe Clyde’s older brother.
A gag order does remain in place, but sources who have spoken to some of the jurors say it was not the witness testimony, but Joseph’s confession that convinced them of his guilt.
They simply did not believe a father would confess to killing his own son if he did not.
His own lawyer Jake Lockert said as much. “When your client had made the initial confessions and then continued to make phone calls and ride with cops and try to tell them where the body was… write letters and more calls from prison. It was making it extremely difficult to defend his case,” he said.
This revelation could play a role in the upcoming trial of Joe Clyde’s mother, Krystal.
She is charged with aggravated child neglect and abuse, making false reports and tampering with evidence.
If convicted, “She could very well be facing comparable time to her husband,” said WTVF legal analyst Nick Leonardo.
TBI agents will again testify against her. It is expected her older son will testify again, too.
But without Joe Clyde’s body or any physical evidence of abuse, will that be enough for a jury to convict Krystal?
Unlike her husband, Krystal never made statements implicating herself. She’s changed stories time and again but never admitted to hurting her son.
As a result, the case against her may be more difficult to prove. Krystal Daniels goes to trial in February of next year.
This story was originally published Nov. 1, 2021, by WTVF in Nashville, an E.W. Scripps Company.
